Better Beware! – WFHB

The latest figures on scams and swindles are terrifying. The Scammers Are Winning is the headline in a recent AP article, and the con artists are sucking many billions of dollars out of America annually — more every year. This quick overview of the present situation will give you some idea of how bad things are getting, and why police and government authorities are losing the fight. It’s up to us to keep ourselves safe!

When you travel, you can be a target. If you fly, your frequent flyer miles can be stolen – here’s how to stay safe. And if you drive a newer car — or use travel-assistance apps on your phone — your driving habits can be tracked, and the information can be sold to your insurance company! Here’s a headsup. If you’re worried, do some more research to find out what may apply to you and your car.

Last week almost TEN BILLION stolen passwords were posted on the dark web, and it’s almost certain that some of your passwords are among them. Here’s how to find out if you’re at risk on haveibeenpwned.com — and what to do about it if you are. And here’s some ways to   remember them all — safely.

We had a real disaster last week, with a huge supercell storm, and such things always bring scammers and swindlers sniffing around, trying to rip off the victims. Here’s a headsup on that, and a warning about phony emails that want you to set up electronic bill payments — to the crooks.

The worst scam out there is extremely successful for criminal gangs in Asian countries, and they’ve got thousands of slaves looking for victims. It’s become a “mass transfer of wealth” from middle class Americans — and too many of those who’ve been financially butchered are killing themselves.

Let’s take a look back at scams in general — “confidence games” is the classic term — and examine one of the oldest and most famous: the “Spanish Prisoner” game. This swindle has a romantic history, but it’s still around today and there’s nothing romantic about getting ripped off.

Two recent very sneaky scams are taking a toll — both literally and figuratively. The “who died” scam and the fake-toll-charge scam both want you to click a link in an email or a text — but don’t do it!

Lots of people use PayPal — including con artists. Here are some of the most common scams that are fleecing PayPal users, and the best ways to stay safe.

The FTC is warning about an inheritance scam that’s been targeting minorities, and the BBB is warning about swindlers who claim they can recover a social media account that’s been locked out. Anyone could be targeted by either one, so here’s a double headsup.

The FBI is reporting a serious increase in fraud victims who are 60 or older — but at the same time, the Better Business Bureau says younger people, 18-24, are losing more to scammers than any other age group! Here are the facts.